"Hannibal" Review/Recap: "Mukozuke"

Following what appears to be shortly after last week’s cliffhanger ending, this episode deals with the aftermath of last episode’s events: the identity of the copycat killer and the ongoing transformation of Will Graham’s (Hugh Dancy) character.

Beginning with the cliffhanger, it dealt with Hettienne Park‘s character, Beverly Katz, uncovering the truth behind Will’s claims and witnessing first hand the extent of Dr. Hannibal Lecter’s (Mads Mikkelsen) crimes. Unfortunately for her, he was also present as she searched his basement. The episode ended with the lights going off and sounds of gunshots and a struggle. This week, Beverly’s body was discovered and it was one of the saddest and horrific sights to see.

The death of Beverly Katz definitely does seem like it could be a turning point in the season. She was the first to finally believe Will’s claims and actually investigate. As a result, she found out the truth about Hannibal. Having her killed sparked a greater change in Will.

Later in the episode, a character comments on how Hannibal has pushed Will into changing and becoming something else, something almost like Hannibal himself. And Will sees this as well. He makes a decision to have Hannibal killed, and with that decision, he realizes he’s becoming a murderer himself. Not only that, but everyone else is beginning to believe that as well. The longer he stays in the asylum, the more change that occurs within him.

Another plot point that’s been revisited and resolved is the identity of the copycat killer responsible for the mistrial in the second episode. Will realizes that the killer is still out there and uses tabloid journalist Freddie Lounds to reach out to them. And of course, the killer reveals himself to Will as an orderly who works at the mental hospital. Will tells him to kill Hannibal, and the orderly listens to him.

The copycat killer allowed a character to truly challenge Hannibal, and almost succeeds in killing him. But what’s even better is the confrontation between the two. Hannibal reveals his true self to the killer, and it’s even revealed that he may have been the one who killed the judge back in episode two. But to have a character like Hannibal actually believe he’s about to die and disclose that information shows what he’s like in these situations. It’ll also be interesting to see what happens between Will and Hannibal as a result.

Overall, the episode served a good amount of gore and a sad end for one of the main cast members. With Beverly’s death in mind, it’s going to be interesting to see how everyone reacts once the truth about Hannibal actually comes out towards the season’s end. And it’s continuing to be quite a journey for Will as his character continues to go through a transformation of his own.